Step right up for a say in El Dorado Hills’ future

The newly formed Community Economic Development Advisory Committee of El Dorado Hills’ steering committee is looking for a few thousand good men and women to help decide what the community will look like over the next 25 years.

In a joint interview with Village Life, CEDAC-EDH volunteers Hal Erpenbeck and Steve Ferry said community input is at the committee’s core.

“CEDAC-EDH is about determining our town’s identity and making sure we’re implementing the General Plan,” both said.

Last April when CEDAC-EDH held its first public meeting, moderator T Abraham explained, “The county is asking for our input. If we don’t step up … that void will be filled by those with specific projects or concerns,” he said. “The larger voice of the community will not be heard.”

An estimated 150 people attended that kick-off meeting. Today, regular participation stands in the dozens, said Erpenbeck and Ferry.

“What if 10 percent of the 42,000 people that live in El Dorado Hills participated in CEDAC-EDH?” asked Ferry. “That’s still 4,200 people. Where is everyone?”

Issues including economic growth, housing, land use, traffic, parks and trails, transportation and zoning are discussed at CEDAC-EDH meetings and recommendations are presented to the El Dorado County Board of Supervisors. Ferry gets fired up about creating a more economically prosperous El Dorado Hills for his grandchildren.

“El Dorado Hills is the economic engine for the county,” he said. “We need to bring more businesses here.”

By 2038 Ferry doesn’t see why El Dorado Hills couldn’t have a Catholic University (located on the proposed site of the corporate campus Parker Development is planning at the entrance to the Marble Valley community. It’s across Highway 50 from Holy Trinity Parish).

“What’s the purpose of the business park?” he also asked before saying it has the potential to house Silicon Valley-like businesses. “We ought to be talking about this.”

“The Safeway center is an example of recent economic development,” he said. “That’s what’s important to me. I’m willing to sit in traffic if my neighbors are making a living.”

Hal Erpenbeck wants to talk about zoning and how to support seniors. “El Dorado County has the fastest aging population in California,” he said. “What kinds of buildings support this?”

CEDAC-EDH includes volunteer subcommittees — parks & recreation, corridor traffic and transportation, zoning, community ID and design, history, business park, traffic and transportation and web development. Volunteers can expect the time commitment to be as little as one meeting a month, said Erpenbeck. The next meeting will be held Oct. 29 in the EDHCSD pavilion.

By November, CEDAC-EDH will administer a survey asking for community input before recommendations are submitted to the county.

“All are invited to participate in any or all of our subcommittee meetings,” said volunteer and residential/ commercial zoning subcommittee chairman John Hidahl. “The majority of our Land Use Planning Programmatic Update inputs will be submitted before February 2014.”

See CEDAC-EDH.org for more information or to sign up to serve on a subcommittee.

“People have an opportunity to be part of the planning process,” said Erpenbeck. “It’s going to happen whether it happens to us or by us.”

3 Comments for “Step right up for a say in El Dorado Hills’ future”

“I’m willing to sit in traffic if my neighbors are making a living”. Steve, you do not commute on Hwy 50. You do not fight your way to the freeway in order to make that commute. You are also alluding to an ‘approval’ for the Marble Valley project. A Marble Valley approval will use valuable capacity on Hwy 50 to accommodate housing that would otherwise be utilized for the job creating projects you are dreaming about. I too, hope that people will get involved in the planning process for EDH. Thank you for posting Julie Samrick!

To Ellen and Lori thanks for your interest. I hope that you will both join one or more of the CEDAC-EDH subcommittees. To do so go to http://WWW.CEDAC-EDH.Org then to the subcommittees link then to the individual subcommittee. I recommend that you look at the Corridor Traffic and Transportation and consider joining it.

“I’m willing to sit in traffic if my neighbors are making a living.” That has got to be the dumbest remark I have read in a very long time. That comment was obviously made by someone that does not have to deal with that traffic nightmare on a daily basis. When he mentioned it has the potential to house businesses like that of the Silicon Valley, I wanted to laugh. The reason I moved to El Dorado County was to get away from the bay area and all its congestion. Its always these types that could care less about the average, everyday person. This articles also failed to mention that with the growth of the Marble Valley – no new exits will be added. That means Cambridge and Bass Lake will be the only two to handle all the added traffic that will be fighting to get onto highway 50 each and every day. I know I can not speak for everyone, but I want this area to stay the way it is. I understand growth it necessary, but come on, lets hold on to our small town atmosphere and keep the congestion for the bay area.